Before I begin, I would like to give a little perspective to those who may not understand what a migraine is, or what can happen to a person who suffers from migraines. So, what IS a migraine? `Migraine` is a neurological disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms during an attack. The most commonly thought of symptom is headache. It is widespread in the population. In the U.S., 18% of women and 6% of men report having had at least one migraine episode in the previous year, with seriousness ranging from an annoyance to a life-threatening and/or daily experience.
Most people who have not been around a person who suffers from migraines are usually only familiar with the commonly thought of symptom, the “headache.” They completely breeze by the part that says wide range of symptoms. Also, most don't understand that migraines range in severity! Yes, most people think the norm for a lot of migraine sufferers is this headache people speak of, that minor annoyance which you should be able to just push through. Unfortunately, I am not that lucky. Oh, if only I could have just a “headache.” I wouldn't have to have head pain so severe that tears form uncontrollably, I wouldn't get dizzy, I wouldn't get nauseous, I wouldn't loose the ability to speak without slurring like a drunk, and most especially I wouldn't loose vision in one eye. Another thing that is not widely known, migraines can last, not just a few minutes or hours, but for days.
Imagine yourself lying in bed with a migraine. You can't move, you can't open your eyes, you can't eat, all you can do is lye there in agony. So, what do you do? Well, take a pain reliever, right? The only problem is that doesn't help. So, you take more. That still doesn't help. Ok, now here's the hard part. You still are in pain, feel nauseous, dizzy, and are blind in one eye. None of the over-the-counter medication is working and you've been suffering from this all day. Now what? It's time to seek medical attention, go to the doctor. How do you go to the doctor if you're dizzy and blind? Some how you have to find a person that has the time to take you or if you can afford it, take a cab. Now, you make an appointment but by this time your migraine has gone into overdrive and the only thing the doctor can do is give you an injection. This injection contains pain relieving narcotic and something for nausea, by the way you can't drive because of migraine already and now you're injected with a narcotic.
So, hopefully this kind person who brought you was able to take you home too, otherwise back to the cab. This is day one. You get home after the appointment and try to sleep. In the middle of the night you wake up and the migraine is still there. You repeat the day of doctor visit /injection. This is day two. I wish I could stop there. Sometimes I can but not this time or several times after. Day three is the same but the doctor tells you if by day four you're not better you need to go to the ER. They have “stronger” medication that can be administered. Day four comes and you're off to the ER (all four days you've had to find a ride). While in the ER, you find that you're being administered 3 different medications. Finally, after all that you have a little relief. Mind you, I didn't say the migraine went away. It just dwindled. You won't have complete relief for another two days. So, on this day you can finally go back to work right? Well, you can forget about that. Due to your frequent and lengthy absences, the company you work for can no longer handle the loss and so YOU'RE FIRED.
Ok, I have been suffering from migraines, like the one I had you picture, since I was 16 yrs old, I am now 31. As time has passed they have become more severe and more frequent. Until recently I thought my time was up and this is how I would spend the rest of my days on earth. I had to have everyone imagine this because I needed you to know how helpless this disorder makes a person feel. Only then can you truly understand the impact of what I am about to tell you. There IS help! I never thought I would find it, but I did. It's called Atlas Orthogonal. I know, what in the world is that? Before you run for the hills, I have to tell you that I usually suffer from frequent migraines. So that description of my migraines I gave you happened to me a lot. By a lot, I don't mean once a year or even once a month. I would have a severe migraine, on average, twice a week. Now, I have gone over a month! I have a friend, the one who actually referred me to this treatment, who has been migraine free for over a year. The thing is, this treatment does more than help with migraines. I won't bore you more than I already have with the details, I'll just get back to what it is.
Atlas Orthogonal is a treatment administered by a health care professional (generally chiropractic) that specifically helps with the alignment of the atlas (C1) vertebrae. This one bone can effect the alignment of the entire spine. The human body is balanced when the head is positioned in the center of the feet. When the atlas is misaligned it causes the head to tilt. The spine then shifts to support the weight of the head, thereby creating biomechanical and postural stresses and strains. The resulting misalignment may cause nerve pressure and inflammation causing a disruption of the normal functioning of the nervous system. This one dysfunction may play a role in a multitude of symptoms and pain in different areas of the body. When the atlas bone is properly aligned, that is in the orthogonal (or neutral) position, the rest of the spinal vertebra come into better alignment allowing the body to heal itself.
Well, it's not really my job to convince, only to inform. There are videos and websites that are much more informative than I am. Even Montel Williams had a show which featured this treatment and the astonishing improvements he also experienced. My physician Dr. Connie Lang of Topeka, KS is very informative and is thorough. I have to tell you though; there are only a handful of Atlas Orthogonists. You should defiantly research one in your area if you're interested in this treatment and what it can do for you or a loved one.
